Sony to kill 60GB PlayStation 3

Sony grabbed headlines recently when they announced that the 60 GB PlayStation 3 (PS3) would be dropped to $499 (£250). But on Friday Sony also revealed that this model will be discontinued later this year, leaving only the $599 (£300) model for sale in the US.

PS3 upgrade leaves Sony to shed old stock

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Sony grabbed headlines recently when they announced that the 60GB PlayStation 3 (PS3) would be dropped to $499 (£250). But on Friday Sony also revealed that this model will be discontinued later this year, leaving only the $599 (£300) model for sale in the US.

The news started earlier this week when Sony European boss David Reeves said that the 60GB PS3 is set to be discontinued in the US, and the recent price drop was a way for Sony to clear out old inventory.

"All they're doing is taking their stock in trade that they've got at the moment of the 60GB model, marking the price down and it will all be gone by the end of July," Reeves said.

But another Sony representative later moved to couch Reeves's statement, saying that "The 60GB PS3 will be available in North America for $499 until supplies of that unit are depleted," and that the company has "ample inventory" to meet the "immediate needs of consumers in this territory for several months”.

"We won't be making any further announcements regarding our PS3 model hardware strategy in North America until the 60GB model is exhausted and market conditions are evaluated," the Sony representative concluded.

With the death of the 60GB PS3 model all but certain in coming months, it appears that Sony may be pushing towards a single-model pricing strategy, a tactic confirmed by Sony Computer Entertainment America president Kaz Hirai.